


the art of falling

by HollyTheFluffyCat



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Denial of Feelings, Fluff, Gay Panic, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Zuko, Out of Character, Pining, Pining Sokka, Self-Denial, Self-Esteem Issues, just a whole lost of accidental gayness actually, sokka Knows but is scared, theyre gay your honor, zuko's pretty ooc sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22486417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyTheFluffyCat/pseuds/HollyTheFluffyCat
Summary: Ok. He was fine. Sokka was fine. Zuko wasn’t even that hot, for spirit’s sake! He just had really weird eyes and was just really easy to pay attention to. That was it. Nothing romantic about just paying attention to a guy, right? He wasn’t actually gay, anyways. The only reason he was anxiously pacing back and forth was because he just had a lot of energy, y’know? He would see Zuko  again, and he wouldn't freak out, and he’d be fine, and-Zuko walked in and Sokka tripped, face-planting directly into the floor.———ale title- the fic where sokka is pining and in denial and zuko is just really oblivious
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 336





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> hdndnfdn this is my first zukka fic! woo! i adore this ship sm I swear-  
> also this took. so long- I wrote this all on my phone which is why there might be typos
> 
> hope you enjoy!

Sokka didn’t know what Zuko’s deal was.

This rag-tag, feral firebender who’s been trying to kill them since day one suddenly had a change of heart, helped them a bit, and, what, wanted to join them?? After all he’s done to them, he had a lot of nerve even showing his face. And ok, entertaining the thought that he could actually join them. What would they do if he turned on them? Maybe this was his master plan! Gain Aang’s trust, then one day, in the deep of night, kidnap him and bring him to the Fire Lord. He smiled, smug. God, Sokka was so smart. He didn’t know what the rest of the group would do without him.

Slowly, they gathered together, talking amongst each other and deciding whether Zuko was worth it (he wasn’t.) He was about to spit out another protest, something, anything to keep Zuko from joining the Gaang, but as he met Zuko’s eyes, something in them made him falter. There was something raw, something new gleaming in his golden eyes, a desperation, and Sokka swallowed dryly, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. His stomach also twisted sharply. Damn, this was not convenient. Sympathy for the enemy was the last thing he needed. Zuko was just an evil jerkbender. That was it. Nothing more. Biting his chapped lips, he listened to the conversation around him. It was starting to turn in Zuko’s favor. Sokka didn’t know how the boy managed to convince everyone (except for Katara) that he was worth trusting, but as his thoughts drifted back to his sincere-sounding words, his shining eyes, he uncomfortably realized he was starting to trust him as well.

Shit.

Before the day was even over, Zuko had successfully joined them.

——

Sokka found, quite easily, the walk to Zuko’s new room was the most uncomfortable minute and a half he had experienced since leaving the Southern Water tribe. And he had experienced a lot. The seconds felt like hours, and he had to clench his fists and dig white crescents into his palms to keep himself from sprinting away, far, far, far away from Zuko. This was the enemy! Or well, not enemy anymore, but a firebender! His body radiated a hollow warmth, like flames danced underneath his skin, and Sokka shivered at the sensation of his practically silent, but warm breaths just barely ghosting his neck.

Finally (finally!!) they got to his room. Zuko unpacked his stuff, rolling out a blanket and a couple other items and leaving only a few in the backpack. It was a pretty humble amount of personal belongings, especially considering how he had just been crown prince for a bit. But whatever, he wasn’t complaining. Sokka cleared his throat, and slowly said “Soooo...here you go. Home sweet home. Unpack, we’re eating lunch soon, and...” He pauses, staring at the floor. Never before had cracks been so interesting. “Welcome aboard, I guess...?” His voice came out kind of distant, awkward, and he winced at it. Eugh. What was he even saying? And as Zuko’s eyes met his again, he almost flinched. Flecks of gold dust shimmered within his eyes, and they felt wide, so wide, like he was going to get swallowed up and lost in them any second now. Sokka found he was mesmerized, in a morbid, uncomfortable sort of way. They stayed like that for a second or two before Sokka snapped out of it and quickly looked away, but he didn’t fail to notice the faint quirk at the edges of Zuko’s lips, a shadow of a smile. He walked out without another word, shuddering.

This was gonna take a bit of time to get used to.

——

And that was precisely why, when the moon wa hanging perfectly above him at midnight, he couldn’t sleep. His thoughts ran wild and kept him awake, and every time he would shut his eyes, they eventually fluttered open out of the fear he might miss something. Zuko, with his damn...honey eyes could be up to something, and no one would know! Nobody except him. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Zuko was confusing. Why couldn’t he just be clear in whether he was evil or not?

Finally, Sokka forced himself to stand up. Alright. If he wasn’t going to sleep without answers, he’ll get answers.

Slowly, steps faint on the floor, he made his way back to Zuko’s room. Something in him curled up, whispering to him that this wasn’t right, he shouldn’t be doing this at all. He should be asleep, minding his business. But he...he had to be sure, right? He was just checking, that was it.

Zuko’s room wasn’t the farthest trek, but it was pretty isolated. When he finally saw it, he paused, mere steps away from the doorway. Moonlight flowed smoothly on the floor in front of him, and he bit his lip, praying to the spirits that Zuko would be asleep and would never know. Slowly, he walked the last few steps and peered out of the side of the doorway.

Zuko was laying down, buried underneath his blanket, still as a statue. Sokka let out a sigh. He was wrong. Zuko wasn’t up to anything nefarious as for now. It was ok. He could sleep now. “Thank spirits” he muttered, a mistake, he quickly realized, as Zuko shifted a bit. It was at that exact moment that it hit him that Zuko’s breathing was far too irregular and quick for him to be asleep. A hesitation, and then Zuko pushed himself up. Sokka froze in his tracks as Zuko head flicked back and his deep eyes watched him, confused.

This was possibly the most mortifying moment he had experienced.

Before Zuko could even open his mouth, Sokka quickly stuttered out “Don’t! Uh- I mean, I was just- I couldn’t- I wanted to- I needed to!- Check on you!” The jumbled string of words were practically incomprehensible, and Zuko blinked a couple times, taken aback. Sokka mentally screamed. Shit, what was he even saying?! He took a shaky breath, and then he started again, voice quiet. “I just...couldn’t sleep, and I, uh, needed to make sure you were still here and not escaping or doing something evil, haha-, and uhm, you can just go back to sleep now, I’ll leave.”

Zuko deadpanned “I was never asleep.”

“Oh.”

Sokka was an idiot. He felt his cheeks flush red, and he was so, so embarrassed. Oh god, why did he think this was a good idea? He started to back out, but Zuko held up his hand and said in a flat voice “Stop.” He meekly obeyed, steps halting as he nervously stared at the slightly cranky firebender in front of him. Zuko massaged his head like he had the world’s worst headache, and sighed out a “Sit down.” Sokka tensed. Sit. Sit?!? Alone, at midnight, in a firebender’s room, he was being asked to just sit?!? The hesitation must have been clear on his face, because Zuko’s face twisted a bit, and he quietly added “Please”, the word sounding unnatural and obviously feeling quite uncomfortable considering the expression Zuko had on his face was like he had swallowed a lemon whole.

Ok. Ok. So the Fire Lord’s son said please to him, a measly Southern Water tribe boy. What the fuck was going on? Like a robot, he mechanically sat down, a mere foot or two away from him and his eyes anywhere but meeting Zuko’s. Sokka cautiously asked “So... are you... gonna kill me or...?”, eyes drifting towards Zuko against his will. Zuko’s stone expression faltered a bit, and for a second, he seemed embarrassed. “No? Is that... what you think of me?”

Oops.

“I-I didn’t mean it like _that_! It’s just, you’ve been trying to for a while now, and uh, you just left a kinda deep impression”- He definitely wasn’t helping. Sokka stopped himself, and bit his lip. Letting out a small breath, he restated “You changing so drastically is just, really jarring, you know? Nothing against it, just... it’s really interesting.” The boy still looked a bit skeptic, so Sokka blindly continued. “Really, you’re changing yourself for the better, man. Gotta respect that.” Zuko eyes widened a fraction at that, and it was his turn to look away. “...Yeah.”

Sokka tasted his words for a bit and then hesitantly asked. “So?...” Zuko seemed to snap back to attention and he quickly said “Oh, er, I was going to...” As his voice trailed off, his eyebrows furrowed and his expression turned heavy. He took a deep breath. “I’m...just sorry for everything. That you couldn’t sleep because of me, spending so long trying to kill you, and joining your group and... ruining whatever you guys had.” Zuko’s voice grew quieter and shakier, cracking lightly at the end. And Sokka realized then, at that precise moment, the boy sitting in front of him with the moonlight dancing on his skin wasn’t the villain, a firebender, or even the Fire Lord’s son, but just a kid, like him. Maybe it was just the night-time sentimentality kicking in, but he found himself speaking before he could even think. “Don’t say sorry. What happened happened, man. You’re so much better now, and you’re not trying to kill us and the Avatar anymore, and you’re happier, at least, I hope so, and that’s all that really matters.” Somewhere between all that, his hand landed on Zuko’s shoulder. Surprise surprise, it was just as warm as Sokka had expected. 

Ok. So he had not planned that being that sappy. Or touching Zuko in any manner. Sokka had planned during dinner to try to seem aloof towards Zuko, as if that would fix anything by making him seem more casual, and he had absolutely, unequivocally, messed that up already. 

The gratitude in Zuko’s eyes, however, almost made up for it, and he inhaled sharply, coughing a bit and looking to the side as his cheeks grew warm. God, he didn’t normally get this blushy and embarrassed. Screw Zuko and his stupid face. “Or something like that, I guess...” he tacked on half heartedly, but the words had already been spoken. He dragged his hand off of Zuko’s shoulder, staring at the floor.

“...Yes.” Zuko hesitated, but eventually curtly replied. Sokka wasn’t sure what exactly he was answering, but he smiled softly. Taking his cue to leave, Sokka pushed himself up, stretching a bit. “Alright, I wish you luck in sleeping, dude. Don’t hurt yourself.” He teased, but his voice came out slightly off, stretched thin as his mind kept wandering back to the soft warmth spreading into his hands, seeping deep into his veins, spreading like ink to water. Zuko was oblivious to the change though, and replied awkwardly, “You too”, face almost turning into a smile. 

Sokka’s smile faded as he shivered, arms cradling around himself. Gh, it was cold. Zuko’s almost-smile also melted, and instead something almost like concern faded in to replace it. “What’s wrong?” Sokka, taken aback, quickly shot back “Oh! Uh, it’s just kinda cold and my blanket kinda sucks. It’s fine.” Zuko, decidedly, scrunched his face in a way that clearly screamed it was not OK, and brushed the hair out of his face as he walked to his backpack. Pulling out a neatly folded blanket, he seemed to concentrate on it for an odd couple seconds, before handing it over to Sokka.

As soon as his hands touched the blanket, he shivered, realizing the concentration Zuko had on the blanket was him warming him up, and the sensation like flames ghosting his hands made his eyes open just the slightest bit more. “Oh, thanks but it’s ok, haha, you can just-“

“Just take the blanket.” Zuko deadpanned.

Sokka nodded once, taking the hint. “Ok then.” His eyes once again fell on Zuko. His back was lit with moonlight, and his features were highlighted softly in an ethereal sort of glow. And like always, his damn eyes, so wide and heavy. Sokka flushed red once again, (he really needed to stop) and finally said quietly “G’night, Zuko.” Zuko’s lips twitched into something like a smile. “Good night.” His voice was just as soft.

Sokka silently left, footsteps quiet as he held a hand to his cheek. So warm...He really shouldn’t have stayed up this late, the night time always made him a little more off. He supposed he was just extra off today. Because of Zuko just disrupting things. Yeah. Of course. He found his bed, let the blanket fall over him (and it felt just as warm and perfect as before), and shut his eyes.

It was only when he took in a breath that he realized it smelled just like Zuko.

.  
.  
.

His cheeks only got warmer.

Spirits, what was wrong with him? Why wasn’t he throwing it off of him? (and why didn’t he hate it?) He didn’t have any time to debate the answer though, because before he knew it, he was drifting off to sleep, blanket, Zuko scent included, tucked softly right next to his face.


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sokka has a crisis for the twentieth time and zuko's just trying to vibe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i.forgot whether they all had their own rooms, i don't think they did but for the sake of convenience, they all have their own rooms now. zuko's is still really separate from everyone else's though.
> 
> also sorry this took so long! going through a rough spot rn, lost my cat and am searching for her, etc. also explains the angst for this chapter since i just felt like being edgy.

Sokka blearily blinked his eyes, exhausted. Ghh... he didn't want to get out of bed. It was so warm, and the sunlight flowing onto him only made him feel even more wonderful. 

He wanted to stay like this forever. Wrapped up gently in syrupy sunlight and warmth, nuzzle his head and nose back into his blankets, lose himself in the intoxicating scent of warmth, smoky and almost sweet, and...

Wait.

What?

His eyes shot open, and he shoved himself up, frantically glancing about. Smoke? Was something on fire? But then, his eye caught on the crimson blanket grasped in his hands, in its silky, sweet-smelling glory, and his cheeks flushed red as the memories flooded back to him of last night. Oh. Sokka remembered honey eyes, the wisp of a smile, a somber confession, and oh, the heavenly scent of Zuko, _Zuko, Zuko._

What the hell was wrong with him? Why did he take the blanket?? Why did he nuzzle into it like a toddler with its stuffed animal??? His cheeks burned, like fire, _like the fire that spread through his veins at Zuko's touc_ \- and HOLY shit, he needed to stop thinking about him cause this sounded really weird and like he was a 12-year-old schoolgirl or some shit, which didn't make sense cause Zuko was just Zuko.

"Fucking hell, Zuko..." he groaned, blurry memories playing before him like somebody had squinted a little bit too much looking at them, but he could still see it, see his liquid gold irises, his heavy-lidded eyes, his pale lips, and _he didn't know what the fuck was going on except Zuko should stay the HELL away from him- ___

__"Sokka?"_ _

__His heart skipped a beat. Sokka frantically turned around, face flushed beet red and eyes blown wide open. Zuko stood there, in his usual monochromatic attire and wearing his signature mild frown, though his eyebrows were crinkled in confusion._ _

__Sokka shot out "Nothing!!," before he could even comprehend how nonsensical what he was saying was. Zuko furrowed his eyebrows even more, but before he could open his mouth more than a fraction, Sokka desperately tried to salvage his dignity and said: "Wait, no, I meant- Hey Zuko, what, uh, brings you here??"_ _

__His voice teetered on the edge of panicked, and he mentally cringed at how whiny he sounded. Yeah, no, his dignity was gone._ _

__Zuko raised an eyebrow, face still knit up in confusion, but eventually said "Um...Aang told me to wake you up for breakfast." Of course. Zuko wasn't here to laugh at him or anything. He was just sent here. Sokka let out the tiniest sigh of relief through his teeth and said, "Alrighty, Zuko!" Zuko nodded but leaned against the doorway._ _

__Shit. Zuko was waiting for him._ _

__So he pushed himself up, except he must have done it too fast, seeing how his vision grew dark and his knees wobbled. He was about to trip over himself before he felt a hand holding his shoulder, firm and warm. Sokka shook his head and peered up at Zuko, his face contorted in concern. "A-are you OK?"_ _

__The realization hit him and Sokka's eyes widened. What the hell. His cheeks were red hot as he shot back "Right as rain, buddy!", the smile on his face forced and shaky. Zuko was holding onto his shoulder, grip steady but comforting, as Zuko stared at him, just as lost as he was._ _

__Of course, the one person he had to almost fall in front of had to be the guy who he had no idea what he actually thought about. Zuko quickly let go of him after realizing how stiff he had gone, and Sokka found himself almost chasing Zuko's hand, leaning forward just an inch before snapping right back. Almost mechanically, he said, "We should just get some food, I'm starving."_ _

__The whole way there he could only think about that damn blanket._ _

__—-_ _

__Sokka twirled his boomerang in circles as he sat in his own corner of the air temple, legs hanging off the edge and dangling in the air. Yeah, yeah, he knew he could theoretically fall into the abyss, but to be fair, they did have a flying bison. And he was always careful when he came around there anyways._ _

__Sometimes he just needed breathing space, because being one of the oldest in a group was exhausting, especially when you were the only one._ _

__Then again, Zuko was with them now, and he was older._ _

__God, his thoughts always seemed to go back to him._ _

__Zuko kept plaguing his thoughts, like a turtle-duckling that just wouldn't go away. He sighed, a long, dramatic sigh, letting himself be dramatic and wallow. Sokka huffed and laid down, feet still dangling off the edge. He could stay here forever. Far away from everyone, from his problems, his thoughts, everything. Nothing but himself. He didn't need anything. It was fine._ _

__Shutting his eyes, Sokka started to hum to himself. It was a sort of sad Water Tribe folk song, about a penguin that couldn't go home because he had lost everything. He was alone, in the big wide world, with nobody to help him, and at the end of the song, the lonely penguin curls up in the snow and goes to sleep. It wasn't the most optimistic thing, but it gave him a sort of comfort, and it brought with it memories of home._ _

__"Sokka?"_ _

__Sokka jerked, and let out a strained yell as he felt the rest of his lower body start to jerk over the edge. Holy shit, wait!- He didn't want to die. He tried to grab onto the floor and flinched when he heard footsteps thundering towards him._ _

__"Holy shit, holy SHIT-" he wheezed out, heart beating so hard he thought he would have a heart attack. Strong, calloused, and almost burning hands grabbed him quickly and pulled him up. As soon as he was back on land, he jerked away from the burning sensation, huffing as anxiety rushed through him._ _

__He looked up and saw Zuko, eyes wide. Of. Fucking. Course. Before he could even reign in his fury, he yelled at him, "Spirits above, Zuko, you almost fucking killed me!!" Zuko faltered, and the anxious look in his golden eyes, the sweat beaded on his face, the way he held his shaking hands close to his chest, and how tense he was made Sokka stop._ _

__He looked...haunted. Like he realized he had done something horrible, had become someone he didn't want to be. Guilt curled at the bottom of Sokka's stomach, and he quickly tried to recover, saying, "I mean,- sorry dude, I didn't mean to yell at you, just kinda startled. Thanks for not letting me fall to my death."_ _

__The fire-bender stared at him, not saying anything for long enough to make Sokka anxious. Finally, he replied quite awkwardly, "You're...welcome?" He gave his best attempt at a smile, which was his lips turning up just the tiniest bit shyly, something that made Sokka's heart wrench and flutter at the same time. God, why the hell was that so...so...endearing?_ _

__There was a pause, and slowly, Sokka resorted to his usual routine, mild teasing: "So...what's our favorite fire-bender doing out here? Careful; you could take after me and fall into the abyss." He just barely saved himself from saying "my" instead of "our", and he could feel his smile definitely didn't look as confident as he was pretending to be, but whatever. Probably was just the fact he had almost fallen to his death, that was why his heart was beating a mile-a-minute._ _

__Zuko brushed some hair out of his eyes, expression going back to it's neutral, stony look, and responded curtly "Was just examining the area. You were so close to the edge because?"_ _

__Sokka couldn't think of a good response for a bit, but really, ever since Zuko had joined his mind had worked about three times slower. He glanced to the side, cheeks flushing red. "I just...needed some room to think. Kinda exhausting being around everybody sometimes." He finally bumbled out, and he winced the slightest bit at how horrible his excuse was._ _

__Zuko's eyebrows softened the tiniest bit, the tension in them almost vanishing, and he simply said, "It really is", tired eyes gazing off into the distance, unfocused. Silently, Sokka found he could stare at Zuko's profile for a while, at his golden, shimmering eyes, his strong jawline, his delicate nose, his messy but pretty hair, his rosy cheeks, his deep scar, his soft, pale, lips and-hooooooly SHIT what was he thinking?_ _

__Sokka was so taken aback he choked on his own spit, and started hacking his lungs out, seeing his life flash before his eyes once again. Zuko gave him a good slap on his back, and he let in a sharp inhale before he wheezed a couple more times, coughing fit over._ _

__Zuko stared at him like he had grown a second head or something and he hesitantly asked, "Are you OK?" Sokka could only manage to nod, giving a weak smile that probably didn't look genuine at all, and Zuko's face seemed to fall, lips pursing and eyebrows knitting in discomfort. "Look...Sokka, forget everything that happened last night. I was just tired, and I didn't want to make you uncomfortable around me, but I did. I'll just...leave now."_ _

__Shit._ _

__Of course, Zuko would see his behavior like that. He had just joined and was probably still freaking the fuck out about the fact he was working with his supposed enemies. He was probably self-conscious as all hell, and of course, Sokka had to fuck it up by...by...well, to be entirely honest, he didn't really know what was going on. But still._ _

__He quickly said, "No! Um-it's not you, really dude, I've just been kind of,,, off recently!", gesturing wildly as he tried to convince Zuko. His expression, aside from the confusion from the outburst, was still skeptical, and Sokka continued. "Really, don't worry about it, Sparky."_ _

__Zuko blinked, taken aback, and then did his signature half-smile as he covered his mouth, trying to hide what was probably the most adorable thing. "..."Sparky"?" Sokka laughed, smile wide enough to almost hurt as he stared at Zuko's wide, bewildered honey eyes. "The shoe fits, you gotta admit it." Zuko rolled his eyes, and simply said: "That's the worst nickname I've ever heard."_ _

__Sokka impulsively finger-gunned at him and winked, still giggling a bit. "Thanks, I try my best." Luckily, Zuko seemed endeared enough by it to let out a huff that sounded suspiciously like a laugh, and he could see the corners of Zuko's smile from behind his hand. Wow, for once his impulses didn't fuck him over! He thanked the spirits quietly for their blessing._ _

__After Sokka's laughter died down, Zuko glanced at the way he came in. "I think I should go. I was going to do a debrief for fire training with the Av-I mean, Aang." Sokka felt something dark twist in him, like venom seeping through his veins, and he tensed, going rigid. OK, wow, that came out of nowhere._ _

__"Oh, alrighty." he forced out, smiling. Sokka didn't want to make Zuko think he was awkward around him anymore; spirits, he just wanted to be friends with somebody around his age. And he didn't know why he was so against the idea, anyways._ _

__Zuko nodded and before Sokka could even stop himself, he shot out "Do you want to spar anytime?" He immediately flushed and opened his mouth to retract the statement, but Zuko replied, confused, "Spar?" Well fuck, Sokka couldn't back out now, and he clarified, "Obviously not a _bending_ spar since I'm useless in that area, but y'know. A sword spar. You're pretty good with your two stabby sticks."_ _

__He swore to the spirits, Sokka would forever remember the sight of Zuko blushing at the compliment, midday light dousing him in an ethereal glow as he stood there, looking like the goddamn annoyingly gorgeous pain in the ass he was._ _

__Again, Zuko brought a hand to rest front of his mouth, (that had to be a habit. he did it whenever he was embarrassed. that was adorable) and Sokka tried not to notice how long and slender Zuko's fingers were, or wonder how they would feel in his own hand. Eyebrows furrowed and golden eyes glaring at the side, he finally said, "They're called Dao, water-tribe." Normally, Sokka would've taken offense to that. But seeing Zuko so embarrassed and knowing for sure that he was just kidding, in his own, weird, fire-bender way made him simply grin in response._ _

__"Dao, shmao. Offer still stands. I'm sure they don't stand a chance against space sword!" Sokka taunted, feeling a lot more comfortable. He was always in his element when bantering, and he guessed Zuko was no different, even despite the...other weird things going on with him._ _

__Zuko hesitated for a split second before saying, "Alright.", in such a casual way it almost seemed cocky. The tiniest hint of a smirk took over Zuko's face, and suddenly he felt a lowkey sort of fear kick in._ _

__Man, Sokka had probably just signed the contract to his death, but he'd been itching for some practice with his sword for a while, and even if he got his ass handed to him, it was still worth a shot._ _

__"I'll keep ya to that, Sparky!" Sokka said, and the deal was set. Zuko clearly wasn't used to his new name, because he seemed to buffer for a second, not being able to really comprehend the fact that spirits-forsaken nickname had been brought back, but finally, he said in an even voice, "My name is Zuko." Being the king of horrible puns and nicknames, Sokka simply winked and said, "Gotta say, Sparky sounds cooler though."_ _

__Zuko let out the most exhausted sigh and rolled his eyes, but didn't scowl, so improvement! Zuko glanced at the sky, trying to get a quick grasp on the time, and finally, gave Sokka a small nod. "Bye, Sokka."_ _

__"G'bye, Zuko. Ooh, or see you later, catgator!" Man, he really was just spouting bullshit right now._ _

__Giving him one last good-natured eye roll, Zuko turned heel and left. Sokka tried. He really did. But all he could do was stare at Zuko's well-built figure, walking away and almost glowing in the sunlight. As soon as Zuko left his field of vision, he sat right back on his spot near the edge and laid down, basking in the sun. But again, his mind always drifted back to the same thing._ _

__Well. That was a train-wreck._ _

__He groaned, running a sweaty hand through his hair. He had no idea what was wrong with him. He was acting so...weird around Zuko. Maybe he was sick or something. Or Zuko had planned this, somehow. There had to be some reason because normally he wouldn't stare at people for such a long time or be entirely in love with the scent of somebody's pheromones._ _

__Deep down, a voice whispered to him that he knew why. Sokka knew exactly what was going on, exactly why he was acting so weird, but he was just too scared to admit it. Too scared to admit that he was a-_ _

__Sokka slammed his fist against the floor, feeling the sting of scratches. Ouch, but nothing that bad. He just didn't want to think about it anymore. The sweet memories of Zuko's smile turned almost sour, and he chewed on his lip until he tasted blood. That voice was wrong. He was just adapting to Zuko joining. That was it. Nothing more to it._ _

__The sun provided at least some comfort, and he felt like he could stay there forever, warm and comfy, far away from the world and all the problems that came with it._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sokka: man, i wonder why i keep staring at this guy's lips and noticing every detail about him and getting jealous over him and feeling happy when he laughs and love the smell of him.
> 
> sokka's subconcious: i mean. i feel like you know you're just scared to admit the truth about all this.
> 
> sokka, sweating: man, i really WONDER-
> 
> \---
> 
> anyways take a shot everytime i write zuko ooc i'm so bad at writing him


	3. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which sokka enjoys a spar with zuko a little too much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok wait how did this story get like 200 kudos again-
> 
> i tried to characterize zuko a bit better! did it work? nehh thats debatable, but personally i think its at least a bit of an improvement ^^
> 
> also to anyone who read last chapters note and was wondering, we found my cat! she's recovered mostly
> 
> EDIT: ok while uploading this i entirely somehow cut out like 300 words, fixed now, sorry!

Zuko still hadn't asked for his blanket back.

Sokka sighed, running a hand through his hair as he woke up to the smell of campfires again. He hadn't had the heart to throw away the blanket because, hey, free warmth, but for spirits sake, every time he woke up to...that, he always thought of Zuko's face, which was not really the best way to start his day.

But it didn't matter, today Sokka was gonna put on his big boy pants and face Zuko like a man. He wouldn't give up the blanket, no, he was going to keep that for normal, practical reasons and not anything else, shut up sub-conscious, but he was going to ask Zuko to spar with him. Sokka needed practice, and Zuko needed more social interaction than just stilted conversation with Aang.

Yeah, that was probably why he wanted to talk to Zuko so much! He was just looking out for a fellow member of the Gaang. Nobody was allowed to be a social recluse as long as he was around.

He took a breath. Might as well rehearse mentally what he was going to say so that he didn't make a fool out of himself again. Hey Zuko, how about I take you up on that sparring offer? Hm, or Sparky!! You wanna get some good practice with a master weaponbender? Maybe Hey, wanna knock our swords together, get sweaty, and tackle each oth-

Ok, no, maybe not that last one.

Sokka groaned, rubbing his temples. Yeah, he was a mess. Not really that hard to tell. Slowly, he ran a hand through his hair, free of its usual hair tie and falling gently onto his shoulders. Absentmindedly, he retied it, biting his lip as he tried to think of a way to approach the whole sparring thing that wasn't...suggestive. He just wanted to go back to sleep so that he didn't have to think about Zuko like he had hung the moon himself, just for Sokk- Fuck, he was really out of it. 

Briefly, he contemplated slamming his head into the floor, cause at least that had the chance of making his brain stop running wild with so many...stupid thoughts. Or maybe he could just lay down and pretend nothing was wrong. A scoff escaped him. Spirits, since when was he trying to compete with Zuko for the title of the edgiest teenager?

"Sokka, Ka-"

Tui and La, Sokka swore he felt his soul escape him as he flinched, ripped out of his thoughts. He also maybe let out a tiny (totally manly!) scream, but that was neither here nor there. Hesitantly, Zuko finished his sentence. "...tara asked for you." Sokka turned around, staring at Zuko through bleary eyes. "Spirits, Zuko, you gotta stop doing that."

Zuko had the gall to blink a couple of times, confused. "Doing...what?" His expression looked so awkward and innocent, like a little baby turtleduck, and honestly, Sokka was lost on how he had ever thought this kid was so intimidating. Even his scar wasn't that hard to get used to.

"Like!!! Creeping in here in the morning, all silent and stuff! At least make a little noise!" He sounded whiny, he knew, but spirits damn him, he got startled far too easily. Embarrassed, Zuko flushed, pale porcelain skin turning a pretty shade of pink that Sokka enjoyed seeing a little too much. "Uh... I'm sorry?"

"Apology accepted, Sparky." Sokka unconsciously smiled, and then suddenly was reminded of his master plan. "Oh! Are you free at around noon?" Briefly, the thought crossed his mind that this sounded like he was asking Zuko on a date, but that thought was ejected as soon as it came.

Zuko paused, eyes narrowed, and then nodded hesitantly. Sokka grinned. Hell yeah. "Meet me here when you're free, I'll take you to somewhere we can spar," What he was saying caught up to him, and he felt his face heat as he self-consciously added, "I mean, if you want, haha, you don't HAVE to spar with me."

He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't the sparkle in Zuko's eyes as he practically smirked (at least, in Zuko form, which was the slightest curve of his lips and his eyes narrowing a bit.) "I will" he rasped, voice low and with a sharp edge. Sokka swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat, as the husky sound of Zuko's voice replayed over and over again in his head.

Maybe he should've banged his head into the concrete when he had the chance.

\---

Zuko came to his room almost at the exact moment the sun hit its peak.

Lucky for him, this time Zuko made the slightest bit of sound so he wasn't scared shitless, and when he looked up, Zuko had comfortably leaned against the doorway, his twin swords gleaming in the sun, and Sokka chewed on the inside of his lip, trying to keep himself from staring too hard.

"Glad you made it, Zuko! Let's go, and I hope you're ready to get your ass kicked." Zuko snorted, sarcastically shooting back "Sure," as he railed after Sokka. Luckily, the walk to there was decently uneventful and short, only taking a couple minutes. When Sokka had first started exploring Western Air Temple, he had found a sort of courtyard, with some marble pillars and a sort of soft sand lining the floor. He didn't entirely know it's purpose, maybe just an area to relax or practice air bending? But either way, it was wide open enough for them to spar without being in danger of falling into the void. 

Zuko's face scrunched up the slightest bit when looking at the sand, and Sokka rolled his eyes at him. "Hey, cut me some slack! This is the softest floor we're gonna get, and it's better than just crashing into the cold hard floor." Zuko only huffed the slightest bit at this, cause Tui and La forbid the prince would have to get some sand on him, and Sokka smirked a bit at him, bemused. 

Finally, Zuko pulled out his two stabby sticks, languidly stretching his muscles as Sokka watched him, distractedly. "Let's just start," Zuko said dryly, snapping Sokka out of his reverie, and Sokka pulled out his sword, (space sword!) grinning. "Y'know, I feel like we should've set some ground rules, but how about we make it simple and just say don't actually kill the other person?" Zuko snorted lightly at that, giving a curt nod as agreement.

They circled each other for a bit, eying each other warily, waiting for the other to make a move. And then, as Sokka blinked, guard falling for just a second, Zuko struck, diving in, dao gripped tightly in his hands. Sokka dodged just in time, sword stabbing nothing but the air, and Zuko let out a small noise of frustration. _Damn, he really was gonna go all in, huh? ___

__Zuko charged at Sokka again, pointing one of the blades at him, and Sokka countered by slamming his sword against Zuko's. For a bit, the whole courtyard was filled with the clang of metal against space rock, which wasn't a pleasant sound, but it at least meant Sokka wasn't defeated yet._ _

__They stayed like that for a while, Zuko jabbing at him and Sokka playing defensive, because goddamnit, Sokka needed to find the opportunity to knock Zuko off guard. But not even a minute after he thought that, Zuko jabbed at him with only one blade. As soon as he deflected that, and right as he wondered _why_ Zuko had only used one, Zuko's left arm snaked around Sokka's leg as his blade snagged on the back of Sokka's ankle._ _

__Shit._ _

__Sokka tripped as Zuko's sword applied the lightest pressure, falling on the sand. Ok, he was at least right that the sand cushioned his fall a bit, but he still fell flat, groaning when Zuko kicked away his sword from his hand. Sokka jumped as Zuko pointed both his swords at Sokka's neck, warning alarms blaring in his head. Shit, what if Zuko was still evil and was going to kill him?!? He nervously laughed, but right before he could beg for his life, Zuko cooly remarked "That was easy," pulling back his dao safely from Sokka's bare neck._ _

__Oh yeah. They were sparring._ _

__Sokka blushed, face heating as he shot back "Hey! I want a rematch, you just- you just got lucky and caught me off guard!!" Zuko raised an eyebrow (which, lucky, Sokka couldn't do that), seeming to hesitate, and then let out a short breath. "Alright, water-tribe."_ _

__One rematch turned to two, then to three, until suddenly they were seven to seven, exhausted and panting. Smiling, Sokka proposed his plan. "Alright, this is the last one, winner takes all. I win, you owe me something, you win, I owe you something. Ready to get your ass handed to you?" Zuko had loosened up a bit sometime around their ninth rematch, and actually laughed, letting a tiny, but adorable, smile light up his face as he replied "Don't get your hopes up."_ _

__Sokka grinned, grip tightening on space sword. "They already are." And with that, he lunged in. He had learned three rematches in that he needed to dive in himself if he wanted to get somewhere because Zuko's defense was not nearly as good as his offense. Zuko quickly parried, pulling back as their blades made contact and trying to get some distance. "Not so fast, Zuko!"_ _

__He lunged in again, faking a hit to his right arm, and last minute switching to his left. Zuko faltered a bit, deflecting a bit too late, and Sokka felt a bit of guilt as he realized that Zuko's left eye probably didn't have the best vision. And right as he was the slightest bit distracted, Zuko charged, diving into Sokka's stomach and knocking both of their swords away in the process. Sokka wheezed, air knocked out of him as he toppled over, Zuko pinning him down._ _

__Before Zuko could get a firm grasp on him, Sokka rolled to the side, throwing some sand at him. Zuko sputtered, scrubbing his face, and he hissed, "Didn't know you fought dirty." Struggling, Sokka tried to push himself up, but Zuko jumped towards him, grabbing Sokka by the wrists and tugging him down **hard** , knocking him back down._ _

__Sokka tried his damn hardest to get out, but spirits, Zuko was strong as hell, and both his hands pinned down Sokka by the wrists. Smoothly, Zuko grabbed one of his dao, lying near him, held the cold blade ever so gently against his neck. Tui and La, that was quick._ _

__And it was in that second he registered the gravity of his situation. Here he was, underneath Zuko, sweat beading on his forehead, face red with exertion, and small pants escaping him, as Zuko's hands, legs, dao, and spirits knew what else pinned him down, vulnerable as hell, and Sokka shivered, cheeks burning as his mouth ran dry. Fuck._ _

__"I win," Zuko muttered, and Sokka found he couldn't say anything, couldn't do anything, except stare, stare at Zuko's flushed face, honey-touched eyes, chapped lips parted open just a bit, and _Sokka wanted nothing more than to push himself up and close the gap between them and-_ No, no, no he didn't- he didn't want that, he never wanted that, _why would he want that that was STUPID-__ _

__"Sokka?"_ _

__Sokka snapped out of his internal panic, shaking his head as he looked up at Zuko. He looked...concerned, eyebrows furrowed a bit as he slowly removed his blade from Sokka's neck. Sokka forced a grin and quickly replied, "Sorry, zoned out. Don't worry your pretty little head about it." Fuck. Leave it to Sokka to accidentally flirt in the middle of a crisis._ _

__Zuko's eyes widened, face somehow turning a couple of shades redder at that, and as he opened his mouth, Sokka frantically cut him off, "Well! That was mean, you could've just let me win!!!" Zuko faltered, almost like he was going to say something, and Sokka felt the telltale itch of anxiety creeping up his throat. He didn't want to even think about anything that had just happened, nevermind talk about it with Zuko._ _

__Luckily, the prince had other plans, and snorted dryly. "Didn't you want a fair match?" Sokka had to chew on the inside of his cheek to keep from letting out a drawn, relieved sigh. Thank the spirits. He comfortably fell into the banter, shooting back "Well, yeah, but I also wanted to win!" Then, a thought hit him, and he added, "Well, you won, what do I have to do for you? I'll do anything that isn't life-threatening or too embarrassing."_ _

__Zuko paused, eyes narrowed and deep in thought. Sokka swallowed nervously, still smiling. Haha, he was in danger, wasn't he? He hadn't really put any thought into the offer, because he had assumed he had finally figured out Zuko's weakness. But lucky (or unlucky) for him, Zuko shrugged the slightest bit. "I don't know? I'll save that offer for later, though."_ _

__Sokka grinned. "Good choice." It was then he remembered Zuko was still pinning him down, his warm breath ghosting Sokka's face, and he coughed a bit, quickly shimmying his way out and pushed himself up. Zuko hesitated but also followed suit, and Sokka smiled as he said, "Good match though. Thanks for sparring with me."_ _

__Zuko, still an awkward turtleduck, seem to freeze a bit at that, and then-holy shit, actually full out smiled. It wasn't anything dramatic, not too much wider than his usual slight-curve-of-lips, but it was...genuine. "Anytime."_ _

__"Anytime? Get ready for some more spars, then, cause I _have_ to beat you eventually." Sokka quipped, and Zuko rolled his eyes, replying with a hint of sarcasm "Sure." Sokka let out a whine of complaint. "Hey! I will, I swear!"_ _

__And as he bantered with Zuko as they made their way upstairs, he found that maybe indulging himself a little bit was fine, because this was worth it._ _

__Seeing Zuko's smile was worth it._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that this chapter took so long!! <3 was pretty busy ^^"  
> but thank you for reading! super happy that atla and zukka has been getting a lot more popular :0

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if anyone (zuko especially) was rlly ooc!!  
> also feel free to leave a comment or a kudo, I love feedback! :0
> 
> also planning on writing a short angsty one shot for zukka so maybe keep an eye out for that-


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